Equality

Equality, non-discrimination and racism

Equality is a core value of the EU. You have the right to fair treatment regardless of who you are, what you believe, or how you chose to live.

We carry out research and share expertise to help fight discrimination, inequality and racism in all its forms.

Highlights

  • Report / Paper / Summary
    11
    July
    2024
    Antisemitism is still a reality for many Jewish people in the EU today. Faced with prejudice and hostility, most feel unable to live openly Jewish lives. This report presents the results of FRA’s third EU survey of Jewish people’s experiences and perceptions of antisemitism. The survey took place before the Hamas attacks in October 2023 and the war in Gaza; however, it includes evidence from a consultation with national and European Jewish umbrella organisations since. It covers 13 EU Member States that together account for around 96 % of the EU’s Jewish population.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    14
    May
    2024
    FRA’s third LGBTIQ survey shows that people still experience hate-motivated violence and discrimination. Trans and intersex people face even greater victimisation. Yet, signs of progress show that the EU’s and Member States’ efforts can positively affect people’s lives. More LGBTIQ people are open about their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    10
    April
    2024
    Racism in the police can include discriminatory racial profiling practices through to excessive use of force. Incidents like these highlight deeper systemic issues that need addressing. Many in society are affected by racism in policing, not only the individuals or communities targeted. Lack of trust in policing can fuel social exclusion and damages the foundations of a fair and equal society, however promising practices are developing to address these issues. This is the first EU-wide report on racism in policing. FRA’s findings identify gaps in regulatory frameworks and propose concrete steps for action.
  • Report / Paper / Summary
    25
    October
    2023
    FRA's first Being Black in the EU report exposed widespread and entrenched racism against people of African descent in Europe. Now updated with new data, this report revisits the situation revealing persistent racial discrimination, harassment and violence. Overall, experiences of racial discrimination increased in the EU countries since 2016, reaching as high as 77%. The lack of progress is alarming despite binding anti-discrimination law in the EU since 2000 and significant EU policy developments since then.
Products
20
March
2023
This guide helps independent national monitoring frameworks to fulfil their monitoring responsibility set out in Article 33 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It focuses on the use of indicators. It does not deal with aspects such as compliance with the Paris Principles or the efficiency of complaints mechanisms. Its objective is to support national monitoring frameworks in designing or improving indicators for assessing progress of CRPD implementation at national level.
27
February
2023
FRA’s 2021 survey on Roma was conducted in Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Spain, as well as in North Macedonia and Serbia. It includes interviews with more than 8,400 Roma, collecting information on more than 20,000 individuals living in their households. This technical report provides a detailed overview of the survey methodology used by FRA when collecting the survey data.
8
December
2022
Artificial intelligence is everywhere and affects everyone – from deciding what content people see on their social media feeds to determining who will receive state benefits. AI technologies are typically based on algorithms that make predictions to support or even fully automate decision-making.
11
November
2022
Europe stands at a delicate moment in its history. It is a moment of existential significance for the wellbeing and sustainability of our societies. It is emerging from the pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease, only to face a set of major overlapping challenges. These pose profound questions about the political, economic and societal future of the continent. To discuss elements of a human rights vision for the future and to identify opportunities for action, FRA brought together a group of sixty human rights leaders and experts with diverse backgrounds
from across the continent. This report distils the meeting discussions, including analysis and ideas, and concludes with proposals for action. It does not represent the views either of individual participants or of FRA.
3
November
2022
Antisemitic incidents and hate crimes violate fundamental rights, especially the right to human dignity, the right to equality of treatment and the freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This report provides an overview of available data on antisemitism as recorded by official and unofficial sources in the EU Member States and in Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia. The data provided by the countries are supplemented with information from international organisations.
25
October
2022
02 November 2022
This report presents findings from FRA’s 2021 survey on Roma in Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain, as well as in North Macedonia and Serbia. The survey includes interviews with more than 8,400 Roma, collecting information on more than 20,000 individuals living in their households. By focusing on Roma, the survey provides unique data and information that are not available from European general population surveys, which do not disaggregate on grounds of ethnic origin. The findings present a bleak but familiar picture of exclusion, deprivation, discrimination and racism.
Young? Passionate about human rights? Having the right data can make a world of difference for your campaigning.
16
September
2022
Europe stands at a delicate moment in its history, facing a convergence of major tests. Each of them taken on their own is significant. Together, they pose profound questions about the political, economic, and societal future of the continent. This is a moment for strong commitment to put human rights at the heart of our vision for Europe’s future. It is also time to demonstrate our determination to work together to this end. Against this backdrop, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) brought together around sixty human rights leaders and experts from across the continent to discuss elements of a human rights vision for the future and to identify opportunities for action. A full conference report will be available soon, including the specific ideas and proposals which arose from the meeting. Meanwhile, this is a summary of the conclusions.
On 7 May 2022, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) organised the fourth Fundamental Rights Dialogue – a live debate that gives young people an opportunity to voice their fundamental rights concerns and to discuss ways to solve them.
In this vlog, FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty, points to the need to recommit to human rights, as evidenced by the wide-ranging impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here he refers to vaccine inequalities and the impact on marginalised communities, disadvantaged children and frontline workers. As he explains in this vlog, human rights can help fix and strengthen society so we are ready for the next pandemic.
8
June
2022
FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2022 reviews major developments in the field in 2021, identifying both achievements and areas of concern. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions.
8
June
2022
This focus looks at the impact of the pandemic on social rights. It examines the measures in national recovery and resilience plans that address the social vulnerabilities among a variety of population groups in the EU, including women, children and young people in situations of vulnerability, people with disabilities, older people, Roma and people in precarious working conditions.
8
June
2022
All language versions now available
14 September 2022
The year 2021 brought both progress and setbacks in terms of fundamental rights protection. FRA’s Fundamental Rights Report 2022 reviews major developments in the field, identifying both achievements and remaining areas of concern. This publication presents FRA’s opinions on the main developments in the thematic areas covered, and a synopsis of the evidence supporting these opinions.
In this vlog, FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty talks about the importance of celebrating diversity in our societies. He calls on everyone to build bridges and listen to each other, so we can create a society where everyone is equal in dignity and in rights.
The Fundamental Rights Survey is the first survey to collect comprehensive and comparable data on people’s experiences and views of their rights in the EU-27. The survey included questions related to rights in a number of different areas, including crime victimisation and safety, data protection and privacy, functioning of the democracy, views on human rights and experiences with public services.
7
April
2022
German version now available
19 January 2024
Children are full-fledged holders of rights. They are beneficiaries of all human and fundamental rights and subjects of special regulations, given their specific characteristics. This handbook aims to illustrate how European law and case law accommodate the specific interests and needs of children. It also considers the importance of parents and guardians or other legal representatives and makes reference, where appropriate, to situations in which rights and responsibilities are most prominently vested in children’s carers. It is a point of reference on both European Union (EU) and Council of Europe (CoE) law related to these subjects, explaining how each issue is regulated under EU law, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as under the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Social Charter and other CoE instruments.
In this vlog, FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty highlights the need to work together to tackle hate and discrimination in our societies.
FRA’s 2019 survey on Roma and Travellers in Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom interviewed almost 4 700 Roma and Travellers, collecting information on more than 8 200 individuals living in their households.
If we are serious about protecting fundamental rights, we need to start listening to young people and what they have to tell us. This message came through very strongly at the Fundamental Rights Forum 2021. As we kick off the European Year of Youth 2022, let’s look at why listening to young people is key to protecting their rights.
In this vlog, FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty points to the urgent need to work towards a fairer society and asks us all, as we go forward, to work less for people in the struggle for equality, but much more with them.
Today, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights launches the second LGBTI survey, mapping the experience of what it is to be LGBTI in the EU.
In 2019 the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) carried out the world’s biggest ever survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people’s life experiences. Almost 140,000 LGBTI people told us about their lives – in their own words.
Based on the lessons learned from relocation
experiences and on existing international and EU legal
standards, FRA has developed a number of practical
suggestions for the adjustment of relocation efforts to
the protection needs of unaccompanied children. This
guidance aims to be a practical tool for Member States
that wish to engage in the relocation of unaccompanied
children and in any future responsibility-sharing
mechanisms, and to gain knowledge on how this can
be done while respecting the child’s best interests.
Michael O'Flaherty talks in his vlog about the human rights aspects in the context of the Coronavirus epidemic and introduces FRA's new report.
In this edition of his vlog, Michael O'Flaherty talks about the human rights aspects in the context of the Corona virus epidemic.
In the latest edition of his video blog, FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty speaks about the publication of FRA's second LGBTI-survey on the 17th of March and how we can use the results to further battle discrimination.
Fundamental Rights Report 2019: Ten years after the UN’s Disability Convention entered into force, 2018 saw it continue
to drive advances in disability rights across the EU.
Fundamental Rights Report 2019: Not all children benefit equally from efforts to guarantee child rights.
Some groups face particular difficulties.
Fundamental Rights Report 2019: Anti-Gypsyism across the EU remains a persistent barrier to improving the social and
economic situation of Roma today.
Fundamental Rights Report 2019: Ethnic minorities and migrants continue to face harassment and discrimination across the EU,
despite longstanding EU laws against racism.
Fundamental Rights Report 2019: Efforts to advance equality moved ahead in some areas but remain stalled in others.
In the latest edition of his video blog, FRA Director Michael O'Flaherty talks about discrimination on the basis of age in the EU and calls for more respect for Human- and Fundamental Rights of older people.
In the light of the events in New Zealand, Michael O'Flaherty talks about discrimination and hate crime against Muslims in the EU and makes 4 proposals on how to make Muslims feel more safe.
Michael O'Flaherty focuses on the situation of the Jewish community living in the EU.
Black people in the EU face unacceptable difficulties in getting a decent job because of their skin colour. Racist harassment also remains all too common.
Black people in the EU face unacceptable difficulties in simply finding somewhere to live because of their skin colour.
The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) launches its second EU Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II).
This infographic illustrates the main experiences immigrants and ethnic minorities across the EU have when it comes to discrimination. It draws from the findings from FRA's EU-MIDIS II survey.
This infographic illustrates the main experiences immigrants and ethnic minorities across the EU have when it comes to victimisation. It draws from the findings from FRA's EU-MIDIS II survey.
FRA took part in the European Cancer Organisation’s civil society workshop on social cancer inequalities. FRA presented its work drawing from its LGBTIQ survey.
On 14 March, the European Economic and Social Committee's Permanent group on the Inclusion of Roma held a public hearing on ensuring political participation of Roma at the local, national and European level. It sought to identify obstacles, solutions and good practices.
FRA presented its approach to measuring self-identification and discrimination experiences, during the second meeting of Eurostat’s Equality and Non-Discrimination Statistics Task Force.
In its observer role, FRA attended the fourth and final meeting of the informal, ad-hoc and temporary group on combating anti-Muslim hatred.
From 21 to 23 January, experts and policy makers met to discuss on how to best streamline the implementation and monitoring of international and European policies on children, youth affairs and child rights.
Over the years, the EU and its Member States have continued to improve child protection systems though gaps still remain. The EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) mapped the current situation across the EU to support efforts to make further improvements.
FRA took part in a meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) on 23 January.
On 17 January, the UN Development Programme held a virtual roundtable event on ‘Being Black in the EU and beyond. People of African Descent, discrimination and the SDGs’. The event was prompted by FRA’s recent publication ‘Being Black in the EU’.
In Madrid on 30 November, FRA took part in the European Platform for Roma Inclusion, a regular event organised since 2009.
On 7 December, FRA took part in a meeting of the European Commission’s Interservice Group on Child Rights. The meeting discussed the Commission’s recommendation on integrated child protection systems, planned for the first quarter 2024.
FRA’s presented its work on antisemitism at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Plenary meeting.
The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, Dr Najat Maalla M'jid, visited FRA on 27 November.
FRA addressed the Council of the EU’s Working Party on Fundamental Rights, Citizens Rights and Free Movement of Persons (FREMP) on 15 November in Brussels.
FRA has updated its anti-Muslim hatred database. It provides an easy-to-use overview of information on hate crime, hate speech and discrimination against Muslims across the EU, Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia.
The annual overview of antisemitic incidents from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) yet again reveals persistent gaps in the recording of antisemitism across Europe. Each country continues to collect data differently. Some still do not collect any data at all. This impedes efforts to effectively counter hatred towards Jews.
FRA is aware of the recent reported increase in incidents of intolerance and racial discrimination in EU Member States. The Agency stands firmly against all expressions of intolerance and racial discrimination, including hate speech and violence.
FRA took part in the Other side of the law: Enforcement of antidiscrimination legislation Equinet conference in Brussels on 12 October.
Almost half of people of African descent in the EU face racism and discrimination in their daily life – a rise since 2016. Racist harassment and ethnic profiling are also common, especially for young people, finds a new survey from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). FRA calls on EU countries to take urgent steps to tackle racial discrimination and harassment to ensure everybody is treated equally and with dignity.
FRA provided an update about its child rights research on 20 October to European Commission representatives and child rights experts.
On 19 October, FRA welcomed members of the Vienna NGO Committees on the Status of Women, on Sustainable Development and on Ageing.
On 23 November, FRA will hold a webinar on findings from its report on fundamental rights of older people. The discussion will centre on the digital skills of older people in Europe.
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The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) will hold its annual meeting of National Points of Contact on Combating Hate Crimes.
The European Network of Equality Bodies (Equinet) will hold a workshop on how Equality Bodies can support deinstitutionalisation from a multi ground perspective.
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FRA will join an expert workshop that will focus on sharing national experiences with online and offline public campaigns against hate crime and hate speech.
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FRA will take part in an international seminar organised by the Spanish National Office for Combating Hate Crimes. It falls under the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU.
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From 22 to 23 October, FRA will take part in the next Advisory Board meeting in Brussels of the EU Children’s Participation Platform.
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Racism remains a persistent problem in the EU. EU actions are driving laws and policies to tackle racial discrimination. To guide these efforts, a high-level conference on anti-racism in the EU will take place in Barcelona on 2 and 3 November 2023. It will explore what underpins structural racism in Europe, what the EU and its Member States are doing to address it, as well as how people of African descent are represented in public office and the media.
FRA will join a panel on inequality, human rights and development during the EU-Latin America and the Caribbean Policy Dialogue in Washington on 19 October.
FRA will speak on best practices for ensuring electoral rights for people with disabilities during the European Commission’s high-level event on elections in Brussels on 23 October.
On 10 October, FRA will welcome the Seniors Office of the City of Vienna.
FRA will deliver an online session on equality data collection as part of the Council of Europe’s InSchool project training programme.
A Collaborative Platform on Social and Economic Rights will meet to discuss realising social rights in the age of digitalisation.
FRA will welcome a group of students from Vienna’s Diplomatic Academy on 13 July. The students are part of the Jean Monnet Summer School on EU policy making.
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The incoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU invited FRA to the informal meeting of members of the Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI).
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FRA will take part in UEFA’s inaugural Respect Forum on 27 and 28 June in Frankfurt.
The EU Framework for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities CRPD will hold its second annual meeting in Brussels on 19 June.
FRA will join round-table discussions on Roma inclusion and empowerment in Romania
FRA, together with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), will facilitate a workshop on improving hate crime recording.
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The Eurostat task force on the EU gender-based violence survey will meet virtually from 1 to 2 June.
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From 1 to 2 June, FRA will take part in a meeting of the Working Group on Equality and Values.